New York Yankees additions and subtractions
Key additions: Giancarlo Stanton, Brandon Drury, Neil Walker
Newcomer to watch: Giancarlo Stanton. The New York Yankees offense is going to be fun to watch, and Stanton will be a major part of why.
Healthy for the first time since 2014, Stanton proved why he is one of the premier power hitters in the game. He led the National League with 59 homers and 132 RBI, while producing a .281/.376/.631 batting line. He easily made his fourth All Star Game, and won the NL MVP and Silver Slugger awards.
Now, Stanton is going to be taking his powerful swing to Yankee Stadium. Teamed up with Aaron Judge and Gary Sanchez, he will give New York quite the potent middle of the lineup. Stanton will also be able to concentrate entirely upon his hitting with the Yankees, serving as the team’s primary designated hitter. While he will be hard pressed to top his excellent 2017 campaign, Stanton should have quite the impact upon the Yankees lineup.
Notable losses: Bryan Mitchell, Chase Headley, Starlin Castro, Michael Pineda, Jaime Garcia
Biggest loss: Starlin Castro. One of the more underrated players in the game, Starlin Castro will be a huge loss for the Yankees.
Castro continued his solid performance last season, making his fourth career All Star Game, and providing all around play at second. He produced a .300/.338/.454 batting line, hitting 16 homers. Defensively, Castro was not great, but he was relatively competent at second. He also provided a safety blanket at short, just in case something happened with Didi Gregorius.
Some combination of Brandon Drury, Neil Walker, and Tyler Wade will handle second this season, which may well be a step down from the production that Castro provided. The New York Yankees have quite the formidable lineup, but the underrated Castro may be missed.